EYE FACTS

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MAXIVISION ANNOUNCES ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ INITIATIVE

May 20th 2016 – Maxivision Super Specialty Eye Hospital, one of the leading eye care facilities in India, today announced a Back to School initiative to support students returning to school after an unusually hot summer.

The C3R Surgery Procedure

The C3R treatment is performed in just 20 to 30 minutes. The following are the steps in which it is carried out :

Custom-made riboflavin eye drops are applied to the cornea, which is then activated by ultraviolet light.

Following this, the cornea is anaesthetized using drops.

The mucous surface of the cornea (epithelium) is disrupted and then Riboflavin drops are placed in the eye every few minutes. The yellow pigment of the Riboflavin absorbs the UV (A) light, increasing the amount of collagen cross-linking in the cornea and strengthening it.

Once the procedure is completed, a soft bandage contact lens will be placed in the eye and antibiotics will be installed.

The contact lens will be removed in one or two days.

The cornea increases in rigidity soon after the procedure although the process of cross-linking continues on for few days. A satisfactory result will be arresting the progress of keratoconus. C3R causes the collagen fibrils to thicken, crosslink & reattach to each other, making the cornea stronger and more stable than before. Thus, C3R results in halting the progression of the disease.

Advantage of C3R treatment

Simple non-invasive treatment

Halts the progress and causes some regression

No stitches

No incisions

Quick recovery

DSEK Procedure

It is a relatively new corneal transplant procedure that replaces only the inner layers of the cornea as opposed to the full thickness of the central cornea done in a traditional corneal transplant. The procedure follows these steps -

The patient's endothelial layer is stripped from the rest of the cornea.

The donor endothelium attached to a thin layer of donor cornea is folded like a taco and inserted through a 5mm incision.

An air bubble is injected to push the donor cornea up against the posterior surface of the patient's cornea.

The pumping action of the new donor endothelium helps to create suction which bonds the donor tissue to the patient's own cornea.

There is little or no change in the refractive error since the patient's cornea is left intact.

Complications of DSEK Procedure

The posterior graft can dislocate and may need to be repositioned or replaced. In some instances, a regular corneal transplant may be needed.

Intacs

Intacs corneal implants provide crisp, clear, maintenance-free vision and are ideal for individuals with moderate nearsightedness who are particular about the quality of their vision. They preserve the cornea's natural shape and can be replaced or removed if your future vision correction needs change, providing clear & maintenance-free vision to those who are mildly nearsighted.

How Are Intacs Corneal Implants Used?

Intacs corneal implants are micro-thin. An ophthalmologist inserts them under the outer edge of your cornea (the surface of your eye) during a brief outpatient procedure.

You cannot feel Intacs corneal implants once they have been inserted. Intacs corneal implants are no more visible than contact lenses. No maintenance is required. Over 97% of patients who get Intacs corneal implants achieve the goal of driver's license vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses, and greater than 50% are pleased to discover that their vision is better than 20/20.

How Do Intacs Corneal Implants Work?

If you're near-sighted, the light rays passing through your cornea are not focusing properly on your retina. Intacs corneal implants correct near-sightedness by gently adjusting the shape of your cornea to allow light rays to focus precisely on the retina & producing clear and sharp vision.

What Makes Intacs Corneal Implants More Flexible Than Laser Surgery?

The tissue removal procedures needed by conventional lasers every time a patient needs an adjustment to his/her vision is not required by the Intacs corneal implants. This is because the procedure changes the curvature of your eye by adding ultra-thin ring segments rather than removing tissue.

Intacs can be replaced with a different size if an adjustment is needed in the future. They can also be removed if necessary; giving you the security you need without a permanent refractive procedure.

Are Intacs Inserts Right For Me?

Only a qualified physician can assess if Intacs are right for you. Intacs are FDA-approved for people whose correction is between -1.00 and -3.00 diopters, with no more than 1.00 diopter of astigmatism. Your doctor will need to examine your eyes to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for Intacs corneal implants. Also, it is required that you have healthy eyes that are free from disease or injury. You need to be at least 21 years of age and have had stable vision for at least one year.

DALK

Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) is performed when the scarring or corneal disease involves the front half of the cornea. In this procedure, the anterior portion of the cornea is removed, leaving the very thin posterior portion of the cornea and the new donor cornea is then sutured into place.

The goal of DALK is to retain the endothelial layer of the host if it is worth preserving. The rejection of corneal tissue occurs in the posterior part of the cornea and retaining it avoids the risk of corneal graft rejection.

The Procedure

95% of the cornea is removed, leaving only the endothelial layer which also includes the Descemet's membrane.

After removing the unhealthy part of the cornea, a donated cornea is stitched into place.

The cut can be made in a zigzag fashion instead of straight up and down in order to allow more surface area for healing.

Sutures remain for around 12 to 18 months.

Key Advantages

Closed eye surgery

No chance of blinding Endothelial rejection (by retaining the recipient's own endothelial layer)

Chances of bleeding and infection inside the eye are greatly reduced

Reduces the use of anti-rejection medications that can cause glaucoma and cataracts

the wound heals faster because anti-rejections meds are used only for a short time

Sutures can typically be removed in about 6-9 months vs. 12 months or more for a full thickness transplant

A Penetrating Keratoplasty can be performed if visual results are not satisfactory

DALK is an advanced and technically complex procedure. An expert should be consulted to understand the pros and cons of this procedure before arriving at a decision.